“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a different way to stand.” — Oprah Winfrey
Recently, reports have cropped up about people who recovered from the coronavirus infection but are severely afflicted with systemic after-effects such as fatigue, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, numbness, dizziness, low blood pressure, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal problems.
This syndrome is an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system and has been termed dysautonomia by Dr. David Putrino of Mount Sinai’s Center for Post COVID Care in New York City (https://on.wsj.com/2WiKFOW).
Similar post-viral conditions have puzzled physicians and scientists over for years, occurring in those previously infected with mononucleosis or cytomegalovirus. They develop chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalopathy or the more recently termed systemic exertion intolerance disease, which are poorly understood.
No specific tests reveal the origin of their life-changing symptoms of extreme fatigue, brain fog, lymph node swelling, muscle and joint pain, digestive difficulties, sleep issues and more. Women are more prone to this as are those who are under profound stress before their infection.
Even minor amounts of exercise in these unfortunate people wipes them out for hours, even days. They’re easily susceptible to more infections. Over time, studies have suggested this condition or conditions create psychological and neurological problems and are most likely associated with chronic inflammatory, immune or autoimmune reactions resulting from the original infection.
I treated one patient, a former schoolteacher who came down with mononucleosis and cytomegalovirus at the same time. Within a few days, she was unable to teach math because of mental confusion, fatigue and general malaise.
Her condition has continued for years. We’ve managed it with a combination of dietary measures, acupuncture, supplements and medication working together holistically to support her immune system, her energy metabolism and chronic pain.
The evolving narrative in Post-COVID syndrome seems similar. Patients seemingly recover from the original infection only to have sustained symptoms. Those with prior problems related to viruses or other health conditions such as obesity, diabetes or hypertension seem more prone complications. Of concern, many of the patients with dysautonomia have been younger, in their 20s and 30s to early 60s and mostly those with mild to moderate disease not requiring hospitalization.
I spoke lately to a 21-year-old college student who developed extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and lymph node swelling about three weeks after she contracted COVID-19. Since her early teens, she had suffered post-viral fatigue and weak immunity so was more susceptible to a negative outcome.
Based on our experience with infections like mononucleosis, it may be that 10 percent to 15 percent of COVID-19 patients could develop this chronic dysautonomia with altered immune and inflammatory status. If so, it would have enormous impact on many lives and our health care system.
For now, maintain recommended hygiene measures, whatever your age. A post-COVID clinic may be in your future. Listen to your body and tell us the story it shares.
Next week, I’ll explore some breaking research on serious post-COVID neurological and cardiac problems.
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July 16, 2020 at 10:00AM
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Post-COVID syndrome is a new, yet old, condition - Galveston County Daily News
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